Top 5 Social Media Impacts In 2020
2020 was a year where social media grew overwhelmingly and transformed through the rise of digital platforms.
Top 5 Social Media Impacts In 2020
Digital Account Manager
2020 was a year where social media grew overwhelmingly and transformed through the rise of digital platforms.
Do you ever check your screen report on your iPhone to see how much screen time you have had and how much of this was consumed by digital marketing? Or are you like me and try to naively not look at it?
Well, if you check your screen time throughout 2020, you are more than likely to see an increase in the amount of time that you spent on your phone and the amount of social media usage that you consumed.
At the beginning of 2020, 65.1% of Ireland’s population were on Facebook, which then grew to 72.7% by the end of 2020. Similarly, in the UK in January 2020, 66% of the entire population were on Facebook and this grew rapidly to 75.4% by the end of 2020.
This shows the vast growth and transformation of social media and points to the impact it is having on our day to day lives.
So, with this in mind I am going to discuss the top 5 social media impacts in 2020. When you are reading this article, take a moment of your time to see how many of the five points you have consumed in 2020.
Tik Tok crashes the social party
Whether you are a Tik Tok lover, a Tik Tok dodger or someone who pretends to hate Tik Tok but secretly watches it every day, we can all agree that the growth of Tik Tok in 2020 was huge!
In March 2020 alone, Tik Tok was downloaded approximately 115 million times by App Store and Google Play customers, with over 745,000 of the downloads from the UK.
Did you take part in any of the 2020 Tik Tok challenges? I know there are a few of us at Walker who took part with family and friends! Truthfully, Tik Tok is a social media platform that will continue to grow in 2021, due to its level of engagement and the commitment and loyalty of the content creators and users.
It is estimated that the number of UK users will reach 10 million by 2021. If you haven’t done so already, check out Tik Tok and see if it is relevant for your brand, or simply for some lighthearted fun with family and friends.
Brands built their community voice
When lockdown occurred and we were unable to go out as often, brands quickly realised that they needed to connect with their customers through online digital activity, rather than offline traditional activity.
Business’ that didn’t have a social media platform, quickly obtained a social media presence by joining the popular social media platforms.
Business’ became broadcasters overnight by sharing their message, promoting their business and building a community on their social media platform.
While some business’ couldn’t be in front of their customers in their store or restaurant, they ensured that their business was still in front of the customer through social media marketing and advertising that would keep their brand at the forefront of their target audience.
Social E-commerce took centre stage
With consumer buying habits changing and more people wishing to shop online, e-commerce took centre stage.
It had been forecasted in late 2020, that the UK consumers would spend over 140 billion pounds online in 2020, which would mean that e-commerce would account for more than 30% of retail sales in the UK for the first time. In Ireland, it was forecasted that online revenue was expected to rise by 24.3% in 2020 alone!
"Conservative estimate is that 30% UK sales have moved online with 24% of sales in Ireland online."
These results are huge and portray the importance of obtaining an e-commerce website for your business, so that you are able to continue sales online, when offline sales are unavailable.
How many of you can agree that you purchased more online during lockdown than you have ever done before? There were definitely one too many deliveries from Amazon and ASOS arriving at my door... however, being able to buy online through an e-commerce site makes it so easy for your customer.
If you haven’t got an e-commerce site for your business, ask yourself why not?
Instagram launched Reels to take on Tik Tok
Hands up who loves Instagram as much as I do? (By the way, that’s a lot!). With over 2 million Instagram users in Ireland and over 30 million Instagram users in the UK, it is clear to see that there are many people who love Instagram as much as I do.
In August 2020, Instagram launched the new feature called Instagram Reels in the UK & Ireland. Many people believe that Instagram Reels is Instagram’s answer to Tik Tok. Instagram Reels allow users to create 15 second video clips that can be edited with music, visual effects and more, and then shared on their Instagram to their followers.
"80% of UK instagram users follow a business or a brand page...the potential for business is huge."
Instagram Reels have proven popular with their users, however they have become increasingly popular for both influencers and brands to use also, with Louis Vuitton averaging at 5 million views on their Instagram Reel content that they have created. If you create a piece of engaging content and it’s teamed up with relevant hashtags, the reach can be huge and discovered by new potential customers.
Why not team up with a social media influencer to create an Instagram Reel for your business? This will reach new audiences and create unique content that you can showcase on your platform.
Did you know that 80% of UK Instagram users follow a business or brand page? The potential on Instagram as a social media platform can be huge for a business. With video content continuing to be increasingly popular on social media platforms, Instagram Reels have proven to be a ‘reel’ hit (sorry couldn’t resist) and will continue to make Instagram a popular social media platform for years to come.
Digital trends of 2020
In our top 5 social media impacts of 2020, I can’t leave out the digital trends of 2020. With so many to choose from, I have picked five that I feel personally reflect 2020 well:
- - Quarantine Pillow Challenge
- - The banana bread bakers and the new found baristas who loved making iced coffees
- - DIY haircuts
- - Copious amounts of memes
- - Virtual socialising through Houseparty & Zoom quizzes
